To investigate the influence of the residual implant damage and postimplant annealing upon the structure and magnetic properties of Mn-implanted Si, lattice disorder depth profiles were obtained from Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS)-channeling experiments on Mn-implanted (100) oriented p-type Si wafers. The defect concentration profiles were extracted from the RBS spectra using the two beam model. These profiles reveal a strong influence of the postimplant annealing temperatures upon the defects generated from implantation. Specifically, above 800 degrees C, the backscattering yield from Si lattice defects decreases, which is coincident with a decrease in the magnetization. The evolution of the Mn concentration profiles and the magnetization suggest that the magnetization originates from Mn atoms located in the least damaged region. (c) 2007 American Vacuum Society.